Welding electrode holder switch



Jan. 16, 1951 G. HILLER WELDING ELECTRODE HOLDER SWITCH Filed OCT.. 19, 1946 1f 5 Patented Jan. 16, 1951 'WELDING 'ELECLIRODE HOLDER 'SWITCH Gustave Hiller, Los Angeles, Calif., assignorto :Edward R..Mc`Hugh, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application October 19, 194.6, Serial No. 7.114,466

iXi-Claims. l

'This Iinvention 4relates to improvements `in welding velectrode holders `and may be regarded as an improvement `over the disclosure in my 'prior U. Letters Paten-.t `No. 2,378;707, issued June 19, 1945. Y

Aiprimary object .of the present :invention is to provide an improved 4welding :electrode holder wherein :there is means for gripping Aand .holding a welding rod and establishing an electric .circuit between the rod and the cable delivering current thereto `from a welding .generator and wherein provision is made for discharging .a blast :of a .compressed gas which `may either 'be .air' or a :relatively `inert gas. The direction .of discharge .cf this lcompressed gas is lengthwise of the `welding rod and Vserves "to blow away and dissipate objectionable smoke `and toxic fumes. Both smoke and fumes lare -frequently present 'in certain welding operations particularly when the welding rod has a ux coating, and toxic fumes are frequently generated with certain types .of ymetals `in the course of the welding operation. By means of the improved construction, as the air or inert `gas is discharged `Alongitudinally around the welding rod, the smoke and fumes are dissipated ror scattered 'regardless =o the extent 4to -which the rod may have been consumed during "the lwelding operation.

.Another object of the invention is l'to provide an improved welding electrode holder consistingof a Apistol-shaped body having Va barrel Iportion .and a pistol grip, wherein the 'welding'rod is -detachably imounted at `the forward end of the 'barrel portion, and the Icable connection -from .the welding generator leads "into the bottom -oi the pistol grip. In accordance e*with the present invention a trigger is pivotally Amounted on Jthe forward side o'f the 'grip and operates a'contactor for Amaking and breaking `lthe electric circuit between Athe cable connection and ,the `welding rod. The trigger -is 'so arranged that it will be normally urged into either 'of two extreme positions one 'of which will 'indicate thatfthe electric cir-- cuit 'has been `completed to the :welding rod and 'the other `oi' which indicatesthat it 'has been .'2

broken. f

Still a further object of 'thejinvention 2is te provide an improved welding electrode holder which lis of relatively simple and durable foonstruction and which can be economically manufactured and assembled and Ito provide a novel 'and advantageous contactor for establishing the 'electrical connection loe'twee'n thefeable and :the

lwelding rod.

`With the foregoing 4and other objects 11n Aview.,

which will 'be made manifest in the following detailed description .and specifically pointed .out in the appended claims., reference is had to the accompanying drawings Vfor an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

vliigure 1 is a Vlongitudinal vertical section through the improved welding electrode holder .embodying the present invention;

Fig, .2 lis a sectional View taken .substantially upon the .line 2-2 1.113.011 lFg- .1 in 'the direction indicated;

LEig. 3 is .a sectional View taken substarrtiail;7 upon the line .3--3 upon Fig. .1 in .the v.liirection indicated; and

Fig.. 4 .is a .sectional View .taken substantially upon .the line .4 4 upon Eig. `1 `'in the direction indicated. g

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar .reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved electrode holder consists of a vsomewhat generally pistolshaped body made up primarily of three par-ts. Two of the parts, indicated at I0 and il, are counterparts of each other and are .adapted .to .be .secured `together .in abutting .relation `en .a central vpartingplane l2 bymeans of transversely extending bolts .or :similar fasteners indicated gat i3. These parts provide a downwardly .extend- -ing -gr-ip .adapted to 'be manually grasped 1by the Welder and an upper barrel portion .indicated at I4. At the forward end of the barrel portion .there is a reduced neck `1.5 over which .a .hollow .cap It .is `receivable with .a friction .1i-t.

Within the barrel :portion of the .holder there is dispesedan electrode mounting means genera-ily indicated at 11. This mounting *means is preferably :formed of Acopper or .other good convductor and vat vits forward end .it has a socket t8 .adapted to receive the end `of Va weldingelectrode E. The electrode .or welding vred is `receivable through 'an aperture i9 in the cap It that -is arranged in alignment -with ithe socket. ,A :thumb screw 20 extends through the bottom of .the cap 't6 sand iintc `the side .oi the ,socket so lfas to be :capable of being tightened against the .electrode E te :retain .it the socket. vThis thumb screw is threaded 'through farine =2| 'that is .helden the 'bar '.ll .such as Aby .set .screws 22 which valso enter ithe .seek-et it. iBy :adjusting the set .screws .22 the Ysize of lthe socket may be Varied .to .accomimode-te .the various :sizes of welding rods. intermediate the ends of the .electrode .mounting H .there arelateralybosses :or wings 23 which enter :and A:fit in recesses :formed .in l.the opposed -iaees ef the body members .I-.D and il.. At :the

broken.

Vthatfis somewhat larger than the electrode.

rear end of the mounting l1 there is a contact 24 which has a hemispherical recess formed on its rear face. This contact is engageable by a spherical contact 25 on a contactor 26. A compression spring 21 is seated within opposed re cesses 28 in the members IB and I l and normally urges the contact 25 forwardly into engagement with the contact 24. The contactor 26 has ay spherically-shaped lower end 28 the sides of which rotatably nt in opposed recesses 3!) in the members I and Il (see Fig. 4). 3l indicates a cable connection from a welding generator or other source of welding current which extends upwardly through opposed recesses in the body parts El and i l and is secured in a socket adapted to receive its end such as by a set screw 32.

As will be observed from the dotted line showing in Fig. l, the contacter 26 may swing about the center of the spherical lower end 29 from the full line position shown to the dotted line position shown. This movement is accomplished by means oi a trigger 33 pivotally mounted asvat 3 between the body parts il! and l i. This trigger has integral therewith a cam d that is engageable with the forward side of the contacter 26. The arrangement of the cam 35 is such that the trigger will be normally urged into either of two extreme positions by the pressure of the spring 2l' urging the contactor 25 forwardly. In one of these extreme positions illustrated in dottedlines on Fig. l, thetrigger is uppermost, engaging the top of recesses adapted to accommodate it, formed in the body parts l0 and il. This position of the trigger indicates that the contactor 26 has been forced rearwardly by cam 35 against the action of the compression spring 21 and that the electrical connection between the cable connection 3i andthe electrode E is Conversely, when the trigger 33 is in its lowerrnost position, illustrated in full lines, thisl indicates that the contacter 2t has been allowed to be forced forwardly by the compression spring 2l and that the electrical connection has been made between contacts 24 and 25. In this manner a Welder may visually ascertain at'all times whether the electrode E is in circuit with the generator and if he desires to lay down the electrode holder on a grounded surface he can ascertain visually whether this can be done without forming an arc between the electrode E and the grounded surface.

Adjacent the inlet for the cable connection 3| there is disposed a tube 36 equipped with a connection 3l to an air hose 38 or other supply of compressed gas. This tube conducts the air or w compressed gas into the cavity 39 which is below the spherical lower end 29 of the contacter 26. Grooves or ducts 4B that are partially formed in each of the body members Ill and Il serve to conduct the air or gas around the spherical lower end 29 to an upper chamber or cavity IH formed in each of the body members. Clearance spaces or ducts serve to conduct the air around `the contact 2l! and along the mounting Il to the interior of cap IE. Grooves 4Z, are formed on'the interior of the cap to conduct the air or gas around the ring 2l where it may discharge from the cap through the aperture I 9 In this manner, during the welding, air or a compressed gas may be continuously discharged lengthwise along the electrode to blow away smoke 1 or toxic fumes that may be generated during the welding operation. It will be appreciated' that in the preferred form ofconstruction the parts I0, Il and IB of the body are preferably formed of a moldable insulating material such as a synthetic resin plastic wherein all of the necessary cavities required to accommodate the mounting I1, the spring 21 and the contacter 25 are partially formed on opposite sides of the parting plane I2. In this manner it is possible to easily assemble the electrode holder and to disassemble it whenever occasion requires. Whenever an electrode E has been consumed the thumb screw 20 is merely loosened and the remaining portion of the electrode drops out of the socket I8. A new welding rod can then be easily substituted therefor.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the improved electrode holder is of relatively simple and durable construction and can be economically manufactured. It enables gas to be continuously discharged lengthwise along the electrode to blow away smoke and toxic fumes, and provides a trigger so arranged as to function as a visual indicator vfor indicating whether or not the electrode E is in circuit with the generator cable 3|. v

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

l.. An energizing control for welding rod hold-,- ers comprising a body kof insulating material-,a stationary contact on the body, an elongated conducting member comprising a pair of spaced spherical conductors connected by a rigid neck conducting portion, the body having a socket to receive one of the spherical conductors to swingably lmount said elongated conducting member to permit swinging movement of the other spherical conductor toward the stationary oontact for circuit making purposes and away vfrom the stationary contact for circuit breaking purposes, a coil springrecessed in the body and engaging said other spherical conductor to urge the same toward the stationary contact arld.be.r

ing restrained from lateral movement at the engaging end thereof by its fit on the spherical surface of said other spherical conductor, means for swinging the conducting member against the resistance of the coil spring, and means for con necting an electric supply cable to said one spherical conductor.

2. An energizing control for welding rod holders comprising a body of insulating material, a stationary contact on the body,l an elongated conducting member comprising a pair of spaced spherical conductors connected by a rigid neck conducting portion, the body having a socket to receive one of the spherical conductors to swingably mount said elongated conducting member to permit swinging movement of the other spherical conductor toward the stationary contact for circuit making purposes and away from the stationary contact for circuit breaking purposes., a coil spring having an inside diam@ eter less than the diameter of said other ,Spheri'f cal conductor and being recessed in the bodyand engaging said other spherical conductor to urge the same toward the stationary contact and bef ing restrained against lateral movement at the conductor engaging end thereof by its t on the spherical surface of said other sphericall con: ductonmeans for swinging the` .cnductorm'e ber against the resistance of the coil spring-,and meanson said one spherical conductor forjlconnecting an electric supply cable to said one spherical conductor.

3. An energizing control for welding rod holders comprising a body of insulating material, a stationary contact on the body, an elongated conducting member comprising a pair of spaced spherical conductors connected by a rigid neck conducting portion, the body having a socket to receive one of the spherical conductors to swingably mount said elongated conducting member to permit the stationary contact for circuit making purposes and away from the stationary contact for circuit breaking purposes, a coil spring having an inside diameter less than the diameter of said other spherical conductor and being recessed in the body and engaging said other spherical conductor to urge the same toward the stationary contact and being restrained against lateral movement at the conductor engaging end thereof by its t on the spherical surface of said other spherical conductor, means for swinging the conductor member against the resistance of the coil spring, said one spherical conductor being recessed to receive an electric supply cable, and means on said one spherical conductor for securing the electric cable to said The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,309,696 Roberts et al July 15, 1919 1,794,133 Anderson Feb. 24, 1931 1,883,807 McIntire Oct. 18, 1932 1,938,438 Petersen Dec. 5, 1933 2,148,095 Yettner Feb. 21, 1939 2,200,322 Arnesen May 14, 1940 2,265,135 Hackmeyer Dec. 9, 1941 2,283,748 Mathieu May 19, 1942 2,373,598 Reeb Apr. 10, 1945 2,378,707 vHiller June 19, 1945 2,389,969 Fadeley Nov. 27, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 516,902 Germany Jan. 29, 1931 704,956 Germany Apr. 10, 1941 

